By James Heinz

Milwaukee’s famous harbor workboat, the HARBOR SEAGULL, sank in 2021 https://wmhs.org/life-death-and-rebirth-of-milwaukee-ports-harbor-seagull/. Fortunately, Port Milwaukee had another vessel to do the job.

The workboat JOEY D. was launched in 2011 at the Great Lakes Shipyard in Cleveland, Ohio. She was designed by Jensen Marine Consultants of Seattle, Wash., for use in port security, icebreaking, firefighting, diving, and salvage.  She cost $900,000 with most of the money provided by a port security grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  She was designed with input from the Milwaukee Police Department.

         Photo courtesy of Port Milwaukee

Her 60 foot long steel hull is 20.5 feet wide and draws 6.5 feet of water can break up to ten inches of ice and her bow mounted fire monitor can pump 500 gallons per hour. She is equipped with a DMW telescoping boom crane. A single 405 hp diesel engine can drive her at ten knots.

She was introduced to the public in January 2012 in a ceremony at Discovery World by then Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

Her name comes from former harbormaster, the late Joe DiGiorgio. He died in 2010 after more than 30 years of service to Port Milwaukee.

I toured the boat at the 2024 Harbor Fest at the UWM Center for Great Lakes studies.

Photos by James Heinz and Port Milwaukee

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James Heinz is the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society’s acquisitions director. He became interested in maritime history as a kid watching Jacques Cousteau’s adventures on TV. He was a Great Lakes wreck diver until three episodes of the bends forced him to retire from diving. He was a University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee police officer for thirty years. He regularly flies either a Cessna 152 or 172.